“Sustainable development Goals provide Humans with a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity on Planet Earth.
SDGs give us the ideas of a planet with zero hunger and zero deprivation of any human life due to scarcity of resources.
But, what can a common person do to achieve SDGs?”
What is Sustainable Development?
Everyone is familiar with the issue of the reduction of natural resources on Earth and how not every human on Earth is getting even their basic needs like clean water to drink, enough food and a home to live.
Due to such vast problems on Earth, the term Sustainable Development came into use.
It describes the concept of “Development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” 1987 Brundtland Commission Report.
In 2015, the General Assembly adopted the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, consisting of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to save the Earth and its resources.
What are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals?
17 Sustainable Development Goals provide us with the idea of Earth in 2030, and this Programme will work on all the things which can help our Planet develop sustainably.
⦁ NO poverty
⦁ Zero Hunger
⦁ Good health and well being
⦁ Quality education
⦁ Gender equality
⦁ Clean water and sanitation
⦁ Affordable and clean energy
⦁ Decent work and economic growth
⦁ Industry, innovation and infrastructure
⦁ Reduced inequality
⦁ Sustainable cities and communities
⦁ Responsible consumption and production
⦁ Climate action
⦁ Life below water
⦁ Life on land
⦁ Peace and justice strong institutions
⦁ Partnership to achieve the goal
However, these are the goals made in 2015 and will be completed by 2030.
A nation is made up of people, people of choices and lives, and it’s the responsibility of every person on the Earth to use the resources carefully and contribute to the Sustainable Development of the Earth.
Steps you can take to achieve minor goals with long-lasting effects:
⦁ Save the Resources: Everything around us which is in use is a resource, for example, electricity, water, paper, plastic etc.; Save Everything.
⦁ Turn off the lights when not in use.
⦁ Use Energy friendly bulbs for light.
⦁ Turn off the water tap and don’t let the clean water go away in the sink without use. ( Abundance for you, scarcity for someone)
⦁ Take shorter showers and save water.
⦁ Learn the 3 R’s: Everything you use can be retaken into use with a simple process of 3 R’s; let’s see this:
⦁ Reduce: Always try to use resources as per the requirement only. Do not waste anything worthy enough to come in useful for someone else.
For example: take less food on a plate if you can’t eat the whole, take less water in a glass and take again if needed.
⦁ Reuse: Recognise the ways to use a resource again in a positive way.
For example: reuse the paper for crafting and Decorative stuff, polythene bags etc.
⦁ Recycle: If you can’t reuse something around you, then recycle it. Recycle the paper you printed with inappropriate content and make a new paper out of it, collect the polythene bags to give them to factories for recycling and so on.
⦁ Use the Alternatives: If a resource you use has a renewable and energy-friendly alternative, use the Alternative only.
Social Steps to contribute to SDGs
Sustainable development goals talk about social and economic development as well, and an individual can also have a significant contribution to it if He/She/They take the following steps :
⦁ Goal Number 3: Good health and well being.
⦁ Do not drink and drive.
⦁ Avoid using your phone while driving.
⦁ Drive considerately and with low speed.
⦁ Goal Number 10: Reduced inequalities
⦁ Be open-minded and less judgemental.
⦁ Embrace the differences and respect the opinions of others.
⦁ Be helpful and listen to others.
⦁ Goal Number 8: Decent work and economic growth
⦁ Encourage children and youth to take education and learn the basic skills of life.
⦁ Provide enough jobs and internships.
⦁ Make youth learn values in contributing to society.
⦁ Encourage youth to live on their own and being able to fulfil their own needs.
The role of a nation is essential in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, but a citizen’s role as a human to protect the Earth and its people is more important. So learn the lessons and apply them in life.
